Mike Halpen Buie

I was the person to mention psychedelics as a topic for this project, stemming from a long time interest in self-actualization and philosophy, as well as the descriptions of hallucinogens courtesy of some family members (who, naturally, grew up in the 70’s.) I believe the research on psychedelics to be grossly underdeveloped, as I see great promise in the inhibition-releasing and supposed ego-killing effects of drugs such as this. I plan to focus on the more abstract, culturally related elements of psychedelics such as the Jungian and Psychoanalytic archetypes which are commonly reported by undergoers of psychedelics, as well as the historical usage as a transcendental medium (ayahuasca trips, for example) and all venues of the deep history behind its use.

Kevin mei

I chose to study this topic because of my interests in the field of drugs and its effects. Hallucinogens in particular are a fascination to me as the fact that an organic drug could make a normal person experience hallucinations seem fantastical and horrifying to me. I am also interested in the future of microdosing as I am extremely supportive for the betterment of mental health of all people, and microdosing seems to have had a positive effect on most people. I believe that through psychedelics and microdosing we may be able to improve mental health in a better and faster way.

Edna lee

I am doing this project because I am interested in the effects of psychedelics in association with mental health that are largely unknown. Overall, I am interested about the effects of psychedelics and how they can be used to treat psychological disorders. With new research into treatments such as microdosing, using psilocybin, many opportunities can be explored. Although, I’m not too interested in the historical uses of psychedelics, I thought this would be a good opportunity to work with my friends. I hope to look more into cures for mental disorders with the use of psychedelic therapy.

Carolyn Chen

We chose to do our project on the psychological impacts and applications of psychedelics in areas like medicine, therapy, and cultural/spiritual practices. I am interested to learn more about what psychedelics have to offer to the field of medicine despite their classification as a “dangerous” drug, especially as I find out more about new studies concerning their therapeutic uses. As people have also made claims in the past about the effectiveness of psychedelic drugs as a spiritual conduit, I’m interested in reading more about the details and validity of these cases.